House Intelligence Leaders Declare Support for the OSS Congressional Gold Medal Act

FALLS CHURCH, Va., April 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), Rep. Deven Nunes (R-CA), and its ranking member, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), have declared their support for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Congressional Gold Medal Act (H.R. 3929). They are cosponsoring this legislation to honor the World War II predecessor to the CIA and the U.S. Special Operations Command with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress.

In a letter to their colleagues asking them to support the bill, Nunes and Schiff wrote that the men and women who served in the OSS "deserve recognition for their immeasurable contributions during World War II … the OSS organized world-wide intelligence gathering operations, coordinated air drops and guerrilla actions behind enemy lines, devised psychological warfare operations against Axis nations, rescued downed airmen in Axis-controlled territory, and assembled analytical teams to probe enemy weaknesses. It eventually comprised nearly 13,000 men and women, with more than one-half serving overseas. The OSS made critical contributions to the war effort, including the provision of information to facilitate Operation TORCH – the Allied invasion of North Africa – as well as the D-Day landings in Normandy. Although the OSS was disbanded at the end of World War II, President Truman recognized the need for postwar intelligence-gathering, leading to the creation of the CIA in 1947."

Charles Pinck, president of The OSS Society, said that "we are very grateful for the strong support being offered by the Chairman Nunes and Ranking Member Schiff for the OSS Congressional Gold Medal Act. There are very few surviving OSS veterans. It's crucial that this bill, which has already been passed by the U.S. Senate, be passed by the House of Representatives and signed into law this year so that it can be presented next year to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the OSS' founding. When OSS founder General William Donovan died in 1959, President Eisenhower called him the 'last hero.' As leaders of HPSCI, Rep. Nunes' and Rep. Schiff's support is critical to honoring the 'last hero' – and all the heroes – of the OSS with a Congressional Gold Medal."

The OSS Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that honors the historic accomplishments of the OSS, the World War II predecessor to the CIA and US Special Operations Command. It educates the American public about the importance of strategic intelligence and special operations to the preservation of freedom.